Tribal Mares Are The Most Epic
Your Name: XBlind-DarknessX
The Tribal Soquili's Name: Animikee
Their Temper Credulous
Brief Personality:
Animikee has depended on a human since her emergence from the basket in which she was found. Unsteady and uncertain of her place in the world she has always used the brave as her crutch. She was the perfect tamed Soquili and she never had any qualms about the matter. She even, at times, felt more human than Soquili because the brave was the only one she ever needed. She only really ever spent time with him and as such she is a bit uncomfortable around those of her own kind. Because of this she may appear to be very naïve or trusting, a flaw she is unaware of as of yet.
That being said, since the fire she has undergone many changes and has done a bit of growing. Because she was separated from her stone she was forced to learn to be on her own, to do things according to her own guidance and advice. She has learned to be more independent but she is still uncomfortable around those of her own kind.
She misses the people and the way of life she once had, and has been searching for a way back to them ever since. She has not given up the hope of returning to her old way of life, but there may be a remote possibility that she will no longer be able to fit into that model. She is ever changing and as such so are her thoughts and opinions.
How did they come to the Kawni Tribe?:
“When seated around the ceremonial fire the elders would tell us the story about the existence of Thundereggs. They would tell us how the lightening spirits who lived high up in the crevices of the great snowcapped mountains would steal eggs from the nest of Thunderbird and toss them at one another when angry. Thus these rare gifts would plummet to the valleys below where they would then seek a worthy brave to bestow their blessings upon.”
Once there was a Kawani brave who experienced a vision. In the vision he witnessed a fierce bolt of lightning striking a proud and ancient tree. When he dared venture closer he noticed a perfectly smooth, polished black stone with pale, jagged markings etched into the surface. Hesitantly he reached out to touch the stone but just as his fingers brushed the surface a spark erupted from within and he awoke from his vision.
For many days the brave was troubled by this vision. He went to the elders to seek an explanation but none of them could provide him with one that satisfied his curiosity. Just as he was about to try and forget about his vision, a grizzled old squaw who was known for her silence took him by the arm and led him to the edge of their village. It was here that she advised him to seek out the tree, and to warn him that it would be unwise to neglect what the spirits had gifted him. On her advice the brave saddled up his mount and allowed his gut and the will of the spirits to guide him.
After many days of travel he came upon a barren valley enclosed on all sides by sharp mountains. It was here that he found the tree from his vision, only, there was nothing beneath it. Feeling disappointed and tired from his journey he rested his head upon the gnarled roots of the tree and entered into a deep, dreamless sleep.
He was awakened by the loud boom of thunder and, terrified that he had somehow come to be caught in the middle of a fight between the lightening spirits, ran for where he had left his mount. When he arrived his Soquili was gone and he was abandoned, left to the mercy of the unforgiving lightening spirits in the midst of their quarrel. Uncertain of what else to do, he ran back to the tree and pressed himself against it, praying to the spirits to allow him to survive this otherworldly skirmish.
That was when something caught in the corner of his vision, something familiar yet completely foreign. Carefully making his way around the great tree he looked down to see a dark basket with pale markings texturing its surface. Looking from the basket to the tops of the mountains he found himself enveloped by awe. “Thunderegg.” He breathed.
How did they handle the great fire that ravaged their village? What did they do? Where did they go? Were they a hero or a coward?
The orange glow could be seen through the trees but there was far too much cloud cover for it to be the light of the sun. Animikee turned her head to look back over her shoulder when the heavy scent of smoke permeated her nostrils, a sensation of unease settling deep within her gut. She felt the brave tense upon her back and her pale eyes searched his face for an answer, any answer. He did not look behind them but instead kept his eyes straight ahead though she could sense the discomfort emanating from within him. Pulling against the clump of mane he used for reins she turned about until she was facing toward the village and her heart sank at what she witnessed.
Flames taller than the greatest sycamore tree towered above the landscape as the desiccated vegetation became consumed by the violent red tongues. Sparks flew like mad fireflies, touching down upon each and every dry spot, spreading the hot virus with vicious intent. Her jaw fell open and her ears angled toward the flames, an action she would desperately regret. High pitched wails and screams of desperation slammed into her eardrums and her chest causing her to dance frantically in place.
“Alisinahisdi Animikee.” The brave reached down and gently rubbed her neck but she would not be steady as he requested. She knew the brave was not a coward but she could not understand why he was hesitating, why he wasn’t digging his heels into her sides and urging her to move, to go to the rescue of their people. She strained against her bond with him and her urgent desire to help and was just about to throw him when she received the command she had been waiting for.
A forked tongue of lightening ripped through the air as she dashed toward the village, her entire body buzzing with the electricity of the storm as it supplied her with an unusual sense of power. It was as if the lightning supplied fuel to her muscles and the roaring thunder echoed her quickly moving hoof beats. She felt at one with the world, but the unity of earth and spirit was short lived as they drew nearer to the burning village.
Carnage was everywhere to be seen. Teepees were all but singed to ash and the bodies of many lay among the tattered homes. She and the brave had been living apart from the village for some time but she still recognized the faces of the dead. She could still hear the stories they told around the fires, the songs they sung and their laughter. Elders and children alike lay among the ruins, as well as the bodies of many Soquili she had grown up with. The blazing world around her shattered and she would have dropped to the ground then and there had it not been for the brave atop her back keeping her grounded.
A wall of flame erupted between them and their people and she released a whinny of shock and horror as she lost sight of the village. The brave remained calm as he lowered his chest to her withers and gripped a hunk of mane further up her neck. “Tvga Thunderegg.” He whispered, an edge of determination lacing each syllable. Fear held her in its merciless grasp but she would fly as he had commanded, she would not fail him now.
Gathering herself she headed for the barricade of flame, her heart racing as she leapt toward it. Heat kissed her underbelly and sides and the smell of burning hair filed the air. Though the fire only played on her skin for a moment it felt like a lifetime. Once on the other side she noticed her flaxen mane was shorter, her beautiful tresses having been scorched off during the leap. Other than that and a residual burning sensation radiating up her belly she had come through unscathed, as had the brave.
Utter chaos awaited her as people ran from every direction carrying whatever they could lay their hands upon. Some were attempting to drag the dead from the flames while others attempted to convince them to leave the corpses where they fell. The brave urged her forward once more and before she knew what had happened she was among the burning teepees and corpses, walking through a land of fiery death.
Everything was a blur as she raced this way and that, the brave doing what he could to direct others to safety. Picking some up as they ran by and setting them out of harm’s way as they made multiple loops. It was on the fifth loop that a teepee collapsing nearby knocked her rider from her back. Panic seized her as she realized he was no longer there to guide her. Turning back she caught sight of him trapped beneath burning wreckage and stood frozen with indecision.
Not since she was a basket had she been required to act on her own. She always had him guiding her, telling her what to do and where to go. He was not with her now, he could not guide her and she was left to fend for herself. Fear told her to turn and run and she nearly obeyed, until a new sensation welled up inside of her. Lightning and thunder raged once more and she felt the strength she needed raining down upon her from the heavens. Perhaps she really had been tossed by a lightning spirit, and perhaps this was the blessing she was meant to bestow.
Sparks sprang from her feet as she ran toward the brave, her whole body aglow with the light of the flames and lightning. Dipping her head she angled her horn toward him, and he responded in kind by raising his hand to catch it. In one fluid motion he was ripped from the rubble and, using the momentum, righted himself on her back. "You did not abandon me..." He breathed as he wrapped his arms about his neck. "I knew you would not.."
Delivering him to where the tear streaked faces of the people awaited, she stood firm and with a new perspective as he was taken from her back. All seemed well at hand until a spark danced in front of her eyes and fell at her feet. She was unable to move quickly enough as the grass burst into flame and she was forced back. As though a gilded serpent cut through the valley the flames built up another wall, this time more fierce than the one before it. She lost sight of her people, of her brave. The smoke and ash she had inhaled before grew thick and heavy in her throat and lungs. She needed to move on or be taken by the ravaging fire.
Turning her back on everything she had ever known, she followed the path of the lightning and thunder. Her heart broken at the loss, but her hope remaining in tact.
Now that the village is coming back together to rebuild, how do they feel about that?
Animikee and the brave lived apart from the village for he had assumed the role of a Contrary Warrior thus enrolling himself in the Contrary Society. What this means is that, for the most part, he demonstrated how a Kawani should and should not act through satire and jest. Because of this he was not very well liked, but he was a necessary and respected part of the culture.
Even so, she still felt very attached to the village and its people. As such she would be overjoyed to hear they are rebuilding, and because she was separated from them, she would hope to return one day and reunite with the one who found her.
